SoccerAmerica - Promising start lost on the screen 03/21/2010

[TELEVISION WATCH] On a day that offered so much promise about soccer's future -- the announcement of a new five-year collective bargaining agreement and the opening of Red Bull Arena -- viewers tuning into the Red Bulls' game against Santos on Fox Soccer Channel were reminded of soccer's sorrowful past with some horrendous production work.

On the Estonian Joel Lindpere's opening goal, the ball flew off the screen before it reached the goal.

It was the reverse on the third goal, set up by a wonderful counterattack from Sinisa Ubiparipovic to Macoumba Kandji to Dane Richards on the right side. You never saw Richards. All you saw was the Jamaican's shot fly across the screen into the goal.

They were just a few of many shots where the ball wasn't framed on the SD screen cropped from an HD feed.

Play-by-play man Mark Rogandino didn't help matters. He described Lindpere's opening goal as from "the left foot of Robinson ..." -- the same Carl Robinson, whom he called the "23-year player from Wales." Robinson could only wish he was so young.

"John Agudelo" was introduced as Robinson's replacement after halftime, a "quote-unquote guest player," according to Rogandino with little more than the preseason stats for a player who is New York's most promising young player since Jozy Altidore.

0 comments

Tim King

commented on: March 21, 2010 at 12:18 p.m.

That sucked. I was in Seattle watching it at a Pub (we all wanted to view the competition - Red Bulls - for April's match) and it was so horrible and frustrating that at the 26th minute we turned off the telly. Too bad.

Ric Fonseca

commented on: March 21, 2010 at 12:54 p.m.

When I tuned in to the game, for a while I thought there was something wrong my tv, so I grabbed the remotes to see wah was the matter and lo and behold, all other channels came through OK. So I then settled to watch the game, but after only 20 minutes or so, I changed channel and instead watched basketball game. Yes, indeed, the telecast was lousy, and I agree that it took me back to the days when soccer tv broadcast were in its infancy. The commentators, sure as heck left a lot to be desired, and now I hope we won't be subjected to much of the same in the coming months!

Eric Piazzoni

commented on: March 21, 2010 at 1:02 p.m.

I'm glad I wasn't the only one frustrated by the camera work. It's seemed as if the ball was off the screen as much as it was on...on top of that, the ball may have been on the screen but not the person with the ball. Heck, we didn't get to see the actual shot for the 3rd goal until it was shown from the 3rd angle. Leaving out the commentary, the camera work was just dreadful. If this is what we get to look forward to this season on FSC, I'll just save $10/month, cancel the sports package and watch the stream online.

Kenneth Barr

commented on: March 21, 2010 at 3:01 p.m.

We in Red Bull country were lucky in that we had coverage from MSG with JP Dellacamera and Shep Messing. With the exception of one too many replays of the Richards goal, the production was fine and the commentators kept their words match related. I've posted in a related article (Red Bulls romp..) that it may be better if FSC picked up local feeds rather than produce their own. Although Max (I can't pronounce names like Wolyniec) Bretos has moved on, it would appear from other posters that Christopher Sullivan still suffers from diahrrea of the mouth, often going on about matters totally irrelevant to the play on the pitch. He reminds me of an "Odd Couple" episode where Felix goes on and on until Howard Cosell has to cut him off and say that he will bring the audience up to date about what occured during the five minutes Felix was off on his rant. One thing I would have liked explained. The pitch seemed waterlogged even though the last rain in the area was Monday evening.

Paul Bryant

commented on: March 21, 2010 at 4:51 p.m.

I was so frustrated with the production, while turning to another channel at half-time, I logged on the Fox Sports website and wrote a email of complaint. By the way, who was that fat chick that brought out the first ball? Maybe it was the HD feed that made everybody on the pitch look squat. In his pregame remarks, Rogandino made some silly comment about the weather being a "little better" than a couple of weeks ago when the field was snow covered. He should have been waxing poetic on how wonderful the weather is for this time of the year. What an idiot.

Dale Jones

commented on: March 21, 2010 at 6:17 p.m.

As usual, Mark Rogandino was out of his depth and Chris Sullivan -- funny, I remember as a player, it was always Chris Sullivan -- couldn't shut up the entire broadcast. This is, of course, nothing new a Fox where the viewer is subjected to even more pain when people like Max Bretos are involved. Like most U.S. broadcasters -- even worse in the NFL and the collegiate ranks -- announcers talk way too much, the game becomes an after thought. Sullivan should be muzzled and Rogandino, well, I don't know, but he needs help. Many of the Fox commentators are truly self-absorbed -- best example, Nick Webster -- and it becomes sadly very apparent they are not really journalists, but cheerleaders. Hope this changes, and hope someone puts their foot down to change it.

Sara Blake

commented on: March 21, 2010 at 8:46 p.m.

As much as the FSC picture sucked, and it did, at least we DIDN'T have to listen to JP Candellabra and Schlup Musing. JP should stay on Hockey radio. WE can see what is going on without listening to misinformation. Unlike hockey where it is difficult to see the puck, JP, the ball is that big white thing down there. If we could just get TWC to offer the FSC HD we could really enjoy a lot of good soccer, but Time Warner doesn't get it so we don't either. Does anyone really watch the "Outdoor Channel"?? Give me soccer plus and HD. I used to order DirectKick, but the picture was so bad I couldn't stand to watch it even without my glasses. Maybe if we swilled more domestic beer and quoted NASCA we could fool the powers that be that soccer was really for stupid old fat men and they would happily include it. I had to look three or four times to believe it really was the Red Bulls after 'lo these many past bad years. Controlling midfield? Working the opposing third? Actual Defense? Please tell me it is true!

Scott Olson

commented on: March 22, 2010 at 1:13 p.m.

I wholeheartedly agree, poor production performance by team, camera and announcers. But then I've never thought Mike (on purpose) Rogandon't know was that interesting of an announcer. I think I and many other people could do much better. Especially with some statisticians help.

Kenneth Barr

commented on: March 22, 2010 at 8:29 p.m.

I'm watching a replay of the RBNY-SFC match on MSG and on both SD and HD, the Lindpere goal is centerd on the screen and the ball is followed into the net. Therefore, the MSG feed was different from the FSC and MSG's production team is superior. I'm also going to defend JP and Shep, they don't go off on tangeants like FSC's "diahrrea of the mouth" commentators and they actually pronounce the payer's names properly. On FSC, you still get vwestiges of Max Bretos' horrible pronounciations, including the downright revolting "Wolneac" for Wolyniec.

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